New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-10
ECCENTRIC MR.. HENS WILL.
HIS RELATIVES CUT OFF WITH NOTHING.
ALL HIS TWO MILLIONS GIVEN TO THE WIFE on

ALL HIS TWO MILLIONS GIVEN TO TIE WIFE or
HIS cAsHIER-A CONTEST CERTAIN.
Edward Hen, the eccentric pipe and tobacco
dealer of No. 43 Liberty-st, had long been known
| for his queer personal habits and money saving
whims. But no vagary in his life has so astoushed
his friends and relatives as bis strangely drawn
will. The old man died last Wednesday, leaving
three nephews. niece and fortune estimated at
moro than $2O00,00O By the last will and tesla.
ment filed by his lawyer for probate in the Surro-
gates Office yesterday, his whole estate With the
exception of So, 900 legacy, was turned over to
the wife of his cashier John Wagner, and no men,
ton made of his four relatives The $1,000
legacy itself goes to the cashier, and not
penny of the large estate-lf no contest
Is carried through the courts-wIll thus come to the
queer mIllionaire's natural heirs. contest will,
of course, be made. The four relatives have already
engaged counsel, and, though they have scarcely
recovered enough from their astonishment to ex-
press confidence in anything, say that they will
surely break the will.
The document is brief. 1t devises legacy Of
$4,000 to John Wagner. of No. IL Market-st., and
the rest of the property absolutely to Bertha Wag-
ner, also of No. II Market-st John Wagner is
directed to settle up the whole state, including
the testators interest in the pipe and tobacco firm
which is to be discontinued. The will is dated Sep
tember 80, 1876. The witnesses are John Wurt-
man and Philip Fersing The citations are
returnable on May 10, and the next-of-
kin mentioned are August +. Hen Edward J.
Hen, Ferdinand p. Hen aud Mrs Josephine Slick,
all of Williamsburg. John Wagner and Charles
Dessiness clerk in the tobacco store, are ap-
pointed executors. In case they cannot act, Sey-
mour Ashley, another empoye, and Edward Geiger,
the father of Mrs. Wagner, are to serve.
Turner, Lee & Mcclure, of No. 20 Nassau-st., arc
the counsel for the executors. At their offices an
explanation something like this was given out:
Mr.. Hen, in the first place. has always been peculiar
and eccentric He had known Mrs. Wagners
father, Mr. Geiger, intimately, and had made pet
of the chief legatee since her infancy. With
her sister and brother he had paid for her educa-
tion and even sent her abroad for pleasure and
study. Young Mr.. Greger has spent several years
in Paris studying at the odd hammered milliOnaires
expense.
Mr.. Hen had taken Mrs Wagner for a sort of
adopted daughter after her marriage with his
fail hful cashier and though he lived in his Lber-
ty-st store until hls death, he had been constant
visitor at the Wagner house IN Market-st and
when i'll, had gone there to be nursed. With his
Williamsburg relatives the old gentleman not
on the most cordial and easy terms. He never went
across the river to visit them and only saw them
when they came to his tobacco shop The three
nephews were in business with him az different
times. but had not won success One had been set
up In the tobacco trade for himself by his uncle
and had failed. Another had been put into the ex-
port trade to Mexico and had lost good deal Of
money in it, The third left the tobacco store only
six months ago through some dissatisfaction OF the
old gentiemans with him.
Mr. Hen, his counsel said had been saving money
and making money so long that nothing touched
him more keenly than financial losses, and he
got over his nephews failure He had often said
that he never cared for anything but AFFAIRS bus
whole life was wrapped up in business, and ordl-
nary cares ard affections had no strength at ali
with him. His cashier, Wagner, had always been
faithful, hard-workng. successful fellow Bis
20 ind itch m M n
genteman's health and welfare. Ii was not so odd.
after ali, that he should give his property to tho
the exclusion of his bood-relatives
Over at Lawyer Lawrence's office in the EqIit-
able Building quite different story was told. Tho
old man had made a number OF wills and this was
not his genuine last testament He was known TO
have drawn will in 1870, in which he divided his
estate into six equal parts three OF which were to
go to his relatives and three elsewhere.
I" am in position to state" SAID Mr Lawrence:
that later will will soon be brought to light and
that we feel certain of proving that the old man
did not to dispose of his estate IN this extraor
dinary way He has always been Oh good terms
enough with his brothers children. But he ex-
pected the Dephews when they were in the tobacco
shop to sleep every night the counters while he
slept the sofa. And when they all got IN he
used TO distribute eight cents among them for
breakfast"
Mr.. Lawrence would give no further hints ss
to his plan of breaking the will. He laughed know
ing.y, however, and said that it was clearly another
case of a" undue influence"
Mr.. and Mrs Wagner Will say nothing about tho
lucky CASHIERS wife is vivacIous and rather pref
ty woman of tblrty-fye. perhaps. She politely
bowed TRIBUNE reporter out of her door at No.
II Market-st.. yesterday afternoon and said sDiii-
ingy that it would all come out in court, perhaps.
The Market-st; house must have been fashion, t1S
decayed now, and stands Just across the way nom
ex-Alderman " Tommy" ,shiels's liquor-shop. at
Market-st. and East Broadway.
August. the oldest of the milliOnaire's nephews,
Is now in the cane-making house OF spies 81 Franz.
No. 40 Centre-st One or the other brothers is in
IL. .au.I 49, &c Do G. nhntu at
Broadway aud Liberty,st, The sister, Josephine,
is the wife of John K. Sclich the manager OF the
branch house here of Horace Partridge 4 Sons 'oy
makers, of Boston. He has an office at No 23 Park
Place and house at No. 206 KeaD-st., Brooklyn.
The sclichs are, well-to-do and are, perhaps the
nothing about her case yesterday. except. Ike the
lawyers, that It was one of :" undue infuenc."
vn Years Hn "a Ne %a' he sa aaa sas
sccenirctss %sSH kHSwn He ha%ne ~ Wall STREET. io
scarcely brokers clerk that did not laugh at hls
weather-worn slouch hat and his shabby clothes
dating back into the fortes orsxties. lie lived in
his tobacco shop. sleeping on lounge-oI on the
floor often after working at his books Tar into tho
night.
He came to this country from Alsace abont 1915
and peddled combs, toys toilet and fancy articles
in his youth. Then he got into the pipe and 10
baccO business and finally into exporting American
goods particularly machinery to the lsthmus and
the Central American States. For the last ten or
fifteen years he had been speculatiDg largely IN
stocks aud bonds his investments tarniag out
well uniformly. IL is said that he loaned Jay
Cooke & Co. $500 900 just before the panic or
1873 but saved 1t by a timely withdrawal. His
money was put into all sorts of joint enterprises
and his fortune now is almost entirely in stocks,
mortgages and bonds. He bought railroad, hank.
telegraph, insurance water and cemetery stocks in
differently and had a good many Governments
bonds besides.
10 the last he was as frugal and parsimonlous as
ever He often boasted that he could breakfast on
eight cents and he seldom spent more than twenty
five cents day. The only houses lie owned were
his store at No. 20 Liberty-st and the Marketst.
house where the Wagners live.
TRIAL OF THE PANHANDLE FREIGHT THIEVES
pIrIsRIRc May o-The Panhandle railroad robbery